The Hello Mornings Blog

This post is by Hannah Oxley.

I was nine years old when I discovered my happy place. I grew up in a small town that was exactly 93 minutes from the nearest Target (or Tar-gét, as we lovingly called it). It was June, and I remember standing on my tippy-toes while I reached my fingers toward the stack of freshly printed school supply lists in the tiered cardboard display. My heart beamed with pride as I clutched the crisp sheet of paper to my chest, and Mom led us to the “Back-to-School” section....

This post is by Jen Stanbro.

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:1

This time of year, with all of its goal setting and new year resolutioning, can feel very different for different people. For some, it’s a time of hope and anticipation, a time of fresh motivation and determination. For others, it can feel like pressure, overwhelming, discouraging and depressing right out of the gate. The idea of growth, change, and self-improvement can be exc...

This post is by Jennifer Dixon.

"On a scale of 1-10"...…I do NOT want to rate myself in the area of productivity, especially if the productivity is to be considered peaceful!  For some, there seems to be one extreme of feasting on the bread of idleness and only dreaming of accomplishing something grand; and the other extreme of working nonstop with only chaos as a companion.  But there should be an in-between, a happy medium; where we can be productive and have a heart at peace.  

It is notabl...

This post is by Briane Kearns.

An honorable man makes honorable plans; his honorable character gives him security. (Isaiah 32:8 NET)

Have you ever seen a demonstration of how many balls can be placed into a big glass jar? First in are large tennis balls, and only a few fit. Then ping pong balls are added, and 7-10 fall between the tennis balls. Then marbles are added, and they fill in around the tennis and ping pong balls. Finally, small metal BB’s are poured in and fill all the spaces. The la...

This post is by René Bancroft.

"Let's make a plan."

How many times have you said that phrase? To your kids? Your employees? Your spouse? To yourself? There's always an opportunity to make a plan for your day, your budget, your marriage, or your life. 

The dictionary definition of the word plan is 'a specific project or definite purpose.' To make a plan is to be certain of what it is you are going to do and how you are going to accomplish it. 

We know from God's Word that His plans are good f...

This post is by Lindsey Bell.

Have you ever planned to make a change and then failed to follow through? 

Most of us probably have more times than we’d care to admit. We have the best of intentions but then something happens and we don’t make good on those plans. Sometimes, the reason for this lack of follow through is because we set our goals too high. 

We know how important it is to start our day with the Lord, so we plan to jump in full steam ahead and read 4 chapters each morning. By the e...

This post is by Tami Rodriguez.

I’m a planner…always have been. I probably always will be. I think one thing “planning people” have in common is liking to change up their plans! You’ll see many of us with new or different planners every year and always full of new ideas for systems and routines. I don’t know what it is, it’s just how we’re made. 

Another thing we tend to have in common is a high-strung-usually-on-the-verge-of-stressed-out personality. Sorry—but you know it’s true. It’s why ...

This post is by Joanne Wu.

My husband and I are in the middle messes of leaving a church we thought we would call “home” indefinitely. And it hurts.  Everything hurts. 

But life goes on. The sun continues to rise and set. My five children need food, clothing, and rides to and from school.  Our beloved Golden Retriever needs to eat her medicine with her food twice a day, and be taken out to the bathroom three times a day.  Though everything hurts, life goes on. Though everything feels dark, kno...

This post is by Shaina Weisgerber.

I was so excited to make a new recipe recently. I’ve been using an online meal planning service, and I was excited to follow the meal plan for the week. I got everything out and started to prepare the meal and then half way through realized I was missing an ingredient. Ugh. I had to stop everything, go get the ingredient, come back, finish cooking and the whole process was disrupted. Just today I was on my way to the gym and realized I left my earbuds at home ...

This post is by Joanne Wu.

“What are your future plans?” the human resources director asked me. I blinked at the computer screen and told her through the zoom call, “honestly, I am not sure how to plan anymore.”  Though this interview happened in the fall of 2021, I was still processing how the pandemic rocked my ability to plan for the future.  If the pandemic has taught me anything, it is to hold onto my plans more loosely and embrace who and what is present before me more intentionally.  

I...

This post is by Jazmin Frank.

I have a planner problem. I think the internet world calls it “planner envy,” though I think a better phrase is “planner distraction.”

It started a few years ago when I discovered a planner that allowed me to customize the content, add stickers, and switch out covers. My life is a series of wanting items customized to fit my exact needs, so finding a planner allowing me to do just that felt too good to be true. So I purchased the planner and happily set about cust...

This post is by Amy Mykytiuk.

Eleven years ago, I took on one of the most daunting tasks of my life, homeschooling. In a desperate search for guidance, I found a book by Marilyn Rocket, Homeschooling At the Speed of Life. My oldest son was seven, and up until this point in my parenting adventure, planning was not a priority. With four little ones at home, planning felt more like an impossibility.

Rocket’s advice on time management changed the way I viewed my daily schedule. She said,“You canno...